Putting Out a Fire We Didn't Start
by mocasoul
Summary: Jett's perfect life comes to a screeching halt when Carmen Reynolds, an aspiring singer and a girl who hates him, shatters the perfect image he has of his older brother. Jett starts to mature and grow into an unselfish person as he and Carmen deal with the aftermath of it. Jett-centric and a bit OOC, but not too much. DON'T OWN!
1. Chapter 1

Jett Stetson was walking down the halls of the famous Palm Woods when he collided with a body that fell to the ground and spilled his coffee on him.

"Watch where you're going…" Jett said as he stared down at the girl that bumped into him and wasted his coffee. It was a girl he knew he shouldn't remember because she wasn't normally his type, but he did…just not her name. A singer, not even a famous one, quirky, and moderately attractive. Well, she was hot, but she wasn't as good-looking as him. But, her smooth dark brown skin, brown almond-shaped eyes, and luscious lips was a close second.

"Fuck off, Jett…" she said as she got up from the ground. "You weren't paying attention to where you were going, either."

"Um, I'm a star…I don't have to pay attention." he said in a cocky tone as the should be recognizable girl glared at him.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an intelligent response because that wasn't an intelligent statement…" she said as she turned to walk away, but he stopped her.

"Um, you have to replace my coffee." he said as if he was expecting her to do it right away. "I'm waiting…"

"And you'll continue to wait. You know what…I'm sick of your 'I'm a golden god' bullshit. In fact, everyone is sick of it. You just don't realize how many people hate you in ratio to your fans…and they are only your fans because they don't know what an asshole you are."

"Hey, who are you to talk to me like that?" Jett said as the girl rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You bumped into me, knocked my coffee out of my hand, and you're being rude to me? Who do you think you are?"

"Cut the shit, Jett. You know who I am and you know who I think I am. Or maybe you don't. Maybe your head is like three feet up your own ass you don't notice anybody else…" she said as she rolled her eyes. "Talking to a waste of space like you is pointless."

"I'm the waste of space? I don't even know your name!" he said and it was true. This girl was hot, but he never knew her name. "I want to name of the person insulting me."

"Oh, but why would you do that? I could remain the same nameless girl that just told your ass off. Well, I never did that until now, but you get the gist."

"What did I ever do to you?" Jett asked wondering why this girl was treating him like dirt. He had to admit, he wasn't used to it. Somehow, it was refreshing to see someone not kissing his ass all the time.

"Ask your brother…" she said and he looked confused. His brother? Not many people even knew he had a brother. Hell, his brother was his agent and people still didn't know.

"My brother? How did you know I have a brother?" Jett asked and she just glared at him like she wanted to kill him. She couldn't be an ex-girlfriend because his brother was 35 and Jett knew the girl before him was 21 like him. Unless, she's into older guys because some girls are into that. Maybe she had an older sister. "Do you have a sister that went out with him or something?" he asked and before he knew it, the girl slapped him. "What the fuck was that for?!" Jett yelled out causing people to stare at him. It was unlike Jett to yell in public unless he was throwing a celebrity tirade. It was even more unusual for him to be slapped.

"How dare you? How dare you bring up my sister? And no, they didn't date. My sister would never date a monster like your brother…"

"Monster? You're the one slapping people for no reason. Who is your sister, anyway?" Jett said as he held his stinging cheek.

"Her name is Rachel. Rachel Reynolds. And I'm Carmen…not that you'd remember it…" she said as she rolled her eyes.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about and I don't know what he did to your sister, but don't take it out on me." he said and she gave him a deadpan look as she stared at him. "I'm serious…my brother never mentioned a Rachel…"

"You swear you don't know?" Carmen asked and as she looked into his eyes as he nodded and suddenly the look on her face softened. Then, her face changed to one of pity, but he didn't know why. "You really don't know, do you?"

"No, I don't know anything!" Jett snapped and Carmen had to fight the smirk as she heard Kendall Knight say, "that's for sure…" Jett stared at her and she returned to her look of pity and let out a conflicted sigh. "What did he do?" he asked and she let out another big sigh.

"Ask him…" she said as she walked away and Jett stared after her. There was so much left unsaid, and he was more confused than anything by her unwillingness to tell him. Asking his brother would be a chore, he knew this.

Later that day, Jett asked his brother, Derek, about Rachel Reynolds and as usual when his brother doesn't want to answer a question, he dodged it and refocused the conversation to Jett's career. However, Jett did notice how his brother flinched at the mention of Rachel's name, but it was only for a split second. At the end of the conversation, Derek said he had to leave for a meeting and Jett didn't question it because he had a photo shoot to get to.

After the photo shoot, Jett found Carmen by the pool harmonizing and writing down lyrics in a beat up notebook. She felt his presence near and looked around. When she spotted him, she rolled her eyes until she remembered that he didn't know.

"Carmen…" he said and she looked shocked. "What?" he said in a somewhat defensive tone as he stared at her.

"I'm surprised you actually remembered my name…" she said as she closed the notebook and stood up from the pool chair. The sky was darkening, yet there was a glow in her warm brown eyes that caused Jett's heart to stop for only a moment.

"It's kind of hard to forget the name of someone who insulted you…" he said and she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I tried asking my brother, and…as usual…he dodged the question. I don't know what he did. Tell me…"

"He raped her…" she said and Jett looked at Carmen with disbelief. His whole world was coming apart with those words. He couldn't believe his brother could do that. He couldn't be a rapist. Sure, he treated women like shit, but he'd never rape one, would he?

"Carmen…I…" Jett said feeling at a loss for words. He felt something in his chest tighten a bit and he felt the world no longer revolved around him.

"Before you even do that whole denial bullshit or think I'm making it up…I'm not. She came home one night and her dress torn and bruises all over her arms and thighs. He raped her at some after party of some movie premiere. That was seven years ago…you and I were maybe…14, I think. Your brother was an agent, then, right?" she asked and Jett nodded. "My sister was an up and coming actress…"

"Something was off…" Jett said and Carmen looked confused. "When I mentioned your sister…Derek flinched. I'm so sorry…" Jett said feeling strange that he apologized. He hadn't apologized to anybody in a long time.

"I don't really know if I can accept your apology. Not because I don't want to…it's just…I'm not the person you should be apologizing to…Rachel is. In fact, you're not the one who has to apologize…Derek is…" Carmen said as she walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Jett stormed into his brother's office and slammed the door shut causing the older man to look completely shocked. He sighed with relief when he saw his baby brother, but that same look of shock returned when he saw how angry Jett looked.

"What's up, little bro?" Derek asked as he leaned back in his office chair.

"You're a fucking monster…" Jett said and Derek looked confused.

"What? Did the photo shoot go sour? Who do I have to chastise this time?" Derek said in a bored tone. He was used to his brother blaming him for things when it didn't go his way. Then again, Derek did the same thing to his assistants.

"Fuck the photo shoot. I know what happened…I know what you did." Jett said and Derek looked even more confused. "Rachel Reynolds. That name sound familiar?"

"Should it?" Derek said as he stood up from his desk and walked over to the mini-bar set up in his office. "Here, have a drink with me." he said as he poured a glass of scotch into a glass and handed it to Jett.

"Yeah, it should." Jett said as he set the glass down on the desk. "Her sister, Carmen, thinks it's important. She told me what happened. She told me you raped her sister, Rachel."

"And you believed her? Look, bro, you have millions of fans, but you also have that same number of enemies and jealous people that will say shit to fuck you over."

"She's not one of them…and I believe her. I need to hear it from you. Did you rape Rachel?" Jett asked and Derek let out a sigh.

"I don't even remember even knowing a girl named Rachel…" he said and Jett knew he was lying. "Look, whatever this chick said…"

"Don't! Don't do this shit! Don't lie to me, Derek! I saw you when I mentioned Rachel. You flinched. You can't pretend to not know her."

"Well, I don't know her. I'm not the type to fuck and remember them, okay?" Derek said and Jett looked at his brother as if he was a stranger.

"You're lying to me. Don't lie to me. I saw you flinch when I said her name. I saw the look in your eyes. Something happened and you know it."

"You're believing some shit some girl said to you over your own brother? Come on, be honest with me…how hot is she?"

"Answer me, Derek, or I swear I will find another agent." Jett threatened and Derek stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"You'd walk away from me? I made you, little bro! I made your fucking career. You wouldn't be the most sought after actor if it wasn't for me! Your publicist? She doesn't do shit for you! I do it! I do everything for you!"

"Then, tell me the truth! Did you rape Rachel Reynolds?" Jett asked as his brother let out a big sigh before draining his glass. He sat down behind his desk and stared up at Jett.

"I did a few lines of coke that night and…I don't know what happened to me. I mean, I didn't even remember her name until she found me and confronted me two days later. I mean, I just thought we fucked and I was bad in the sack or some shit like that. When, she said I raped her…I got angry. I thought she was lying and had her thrown out of the building. She was flirting with me the whole night, I thought she wanted it."

"Fuck…" Jett said as he sat in one of the chairs in front of his brother's desk. He couldn't believe what his brother had done. He felt the sting of knowing your role model, the person you looked up to, could fuck up like this.

"She came at me again, and we came to a settlement. She needed the money, I could tell. All of her student loans were taken care of because of me. Look, I'm not proud of this, but I do some pretty fucked up shit when I'm high. But, I never thought I was capable of…that."

"Why did you pay her off? Why couldn't you just accept what you did to her and go to jail or something? Did you even apologize?"

"Grow up, Jett. You think that bitch would accept my apology? I mean, how do I even know even raped her, anyway. She could be just making this up."

"How could you say that? You just admitted that you did rape her!" Jett said as he banged his hands on the desk as he rose up.

"I didn't admit it! You wanted me to admit it. I'm just saying that it might have happened, but I don't know for sure. And you know what…I don't care to know. She took the money, deal is done. I'm not talking about this shit anymore."

"Fine…" Jett said as he grabbed the glass and downed the liquid before rushing out of the office. He needed to get away from his brother.

Jett could feel the buzz from his scotch as he walked down the halls of the Palm Woods searching for Carmen. He didn't know what floor she was on or what room, but he knew he had to find her. His world was crashing and falling apart. He no longer felt like the actor everyone loved. He felt lower than low.

Giving up, he went to his apartment and opened a bottle of scotch, the same brand as the bottle in Derek's office, and poured a glass. He sat on his couch and downed the drink. Normally, this would be his _me time_ in which his would turn on some music, watch clips of himself, and check his stocks. All he could think about was what Derek said. If he raped Rachel, then why did she accept the money? It didn't make sense. There had to be more to the story…somebody was lying and he wanted to know who. He poured another drink. This didn't make sense to him, so he figured he would have a cloudy head to try to make it make sense. After downing his fourth glass of scotch, he set the glass down.

Suddenly, he overheard Carmen talking to Guitar Dude outside and he bolted from his couch and saw Carmen standing outside. He grabbed his keys and left his apartment and spotted her alone. She looked like she had just come from a concert.

"Carmen…" Jett slurred and when she noticed this, she rolled her eyes. "I need to talk to you…" he said as he stumbled towards her.

"Dude, are you drunk?! Seriously?! I'm not talking to you in this state…" she said as she turned to walk away from him and he stopped her. "What the fuck?"

"Derek said he paid her off. If she was raped, why did she take the money?" he said and Carmen shrugged out of his hold and stared at him like she was crazy.

"Are you fucking serious?! He paid her off?! Oh, hell no…come with me…" she said as she dragged him inside and on the elevator. She was going to tell him off, then, but there were other people in the elevator. Once they were on her floor, she opened her apartment and dragged him inside. "What lie did he tell you? I know it's a lie!"

"He said she settled with him and he paid her. She took the money…" Jett said as he flopped down on her couch and she glared at him. He was really feeling the effects of the alcohol he drank. "Why would she accept the pay off if he raped her?"

"There was no fucking pay off! He threatened her saying she'd never get an audition if she thought about telling anybody. When she threatened to go to the police, he threatened to ruin her career in the process. He basically blackballed her and she couldn't get any acting gig. That's why she's a real estate agent, now! Your brother lied to you…again!"


	3. Chapter 3

Jett sat on her couch as Carmen stared at him with pity in her eyes. He wished she would stop staring at him like that. It made him uncomfortable…it made him feel small. Why would Derek lie to him? Why wouldn't he just tell him the truth?

"Damn, man, you stink of booze…" Carmen said as she stepped back from him. "You better not throw up in my apartment…" she threatened.

"Relax…" Jett slurred. "I'm not going to throw up…" he said as he slouched further into the couch. "Sit down…you're making me dizzy."

"I'd rather stand…" Carmen said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to keep her distance in case Jett was anything like his brother when he was drunk. She shivered as the thought about the details of her sister's rape when she finally got her to tell her. Jett didn't seem like he was capable of rape, but she wasn't going to chance it. "And it's your fault for being dizzy…did you eat anything?" she asked and he shook his head. She sighed as she walked to the kitchen and went to her fridge and pulled out some leftover pasta and heated it up and handed him the container.

"What's is it?" Jett asked and Carmen gave him a look daring him to be picky. "Okay, okay…I'll eat it…" Jett said as he sat up and dug in. "It's delicious. Seriously, sit down, Carmen. I'm not going to bite you."

"That's not what I'm afraid of…" Carmen said hoping he would get hint. Hell, who was she kidding? He was so dumb, you'd have to be blunt. "Jett, I'm not saying you're like your brother, but…I think it's best if I keep my distance."

Suddenly, Jett looked as if he sobered up, instantly. He set the fork down and before looking up into her eyes.

"I would never hurt you, Carmen. I'm not a monster…like Derek. I…I think…I think I love you…" he said and Carmen just stared at him with a deadpan look.

"Shut up…" she said wishing he wasn't drunk. She knew trying to talk to him in this state was a bad idea. "Don't get all emotional drunk on me, or I will kick your ass out with a fork going through your head."

"Okay, okay…no need to be so damn bossy and mean." he said as he forked some more pasta into his mouth. "So, what's up with you and Guitar Dude?"

"None of your business. And, no, I'm not saying this to cover up that we're dating. We're not. We're just cool with each other."

"You like him?" he asked and she glared at him. "Hey, it looks like you two are into each other. I know he was looking at you like he was into you."

"He's just a friend. Besides, it's none of your damn business. Now, hurry up and eat the fucking pasta so you can get the fuck out of my apartment."

"Why are you being such a bitch to me? I know my brother is a monster, but I'm not him. I'm on your fucking side!"

"It doesn't matter! I just don't like you! You walk around here with this attitude like you own the world and it should revolve around you! Have you even stopped to look around you? Have you even realized how much I can't stand you? Okay, I can't punish you for not knowing about what your brother did to my sister, but you can't pretend like you'd be forgiven for the other shit you've done. You treat people like shit. You don't pay attention to people around you. You made childish demands. You didn't even fucking say thank you for the fucking pasta. You're a selfish asshole."

"Thank you for the fucking pasta…" Jett said in a snarky tone and Carmen glared at him. "What? You were rude to me first. You're lucky to even get that."

"Well, you can leave…and leave the pasta here…" Carmen said as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I can't…I don't want to be sick…" he said as he leaned back against her couch. "Just let me sit here a moment, will you?"

"Fine…" she said as she walked to her kitchen and came back with a glass of water. "Here, it'll help if you have some water."

"Thanks…" he said and she could tell it was genuine. "I don't get why he would lie to me…I'm his fucking brother…"

"Maybe he didn't want you to know that he was a monster. It's obvious you look up to him. You've seen how your brother really is and you don't know what to do. I imagine it would be hard to see your idol like this. To have that person knocked off the pedestal you have them on in your mind. I feel sorry for you, actually. Don't tell anyone or I'll kill you."

"You feel sorry for me? Why?" Jett asked as he ignored her threat to murder him.

"Well, you didn't really know. This entire time…I thought you were just as heartless as your brother. I thought you knew about what happened and didn't care. I mean, you don't exactly project being the caring type."

"I would never do that. Look, I don't know why you think I'm an asshole, but…I'm not heartless…I know that much."

"How do you expect me to believe that bullshit? You don't do anything to show that you're not heartless. You're in your own little bubble. You don't know anything about anything going on around you. You tell me how everyone is supposed to view you when you do that."

"I don't know…" Jett said as stared at her. "You're really pretty…" he said before he bolted up and ran to her kitchen and vomited it her trashcan.

"Damn it, Jett!" Carmen yelled as she watched him throw up. She knew he was going to vomit, she was just hoping he wouldn't do it in her apartment.

"Sorry…" he moaned before he began vomiting again and when he was done, he leaned against her wall looking spent and pathetic. Carmen couldn't help but feel sorry for him even more because he looked so bad.

"I'll be right back…" Carmen said as she grabbed as towel and wet it. When she came back, Jett was close to passing out. "Jett!" she said getting his attention and he turned his head to stare at her. She grabbed his face and wiped vomit off his face. When Jett grabbed her hand, she flinched and her heart raced in anticipation of what he might do.

"Let me stay here for the night…" Jett said as he rubbed his face against the back of her hand. "Please…I don't think I can make it…"

"Jett…" Carmen said as she pulled her hand away. She stared into his eyes and saw how broken he had become. "Fine…you can stay. You're sleeping on the couch."

"Fine…" Jett said as he leaned his head against the wall. He attempted to rise up, but his body felt too heavy. "I can't move…"

"Give me your hands…" Carmen said as she stood up and took his hands in hers. Just then, she pulled until he was tugged upwards and he stood on unsteady legs. He fell forward onto her and she nearly dropped him. "You are so going to owe me for this…" she muttered as she dragged him to her couch and threw him down.

"Ow!" Jett said as he landed and he closed his eyes. "I'm tired…" he said as he snuggled deeper into the couch and Carmen sat down in a chair across from him.


	4. Chapter 4

Jett woke up on a couch that wasn't his, and he bolted up, but quickly fell back down onto the couch when he realized he was a bit nauseous.

"Don't get up so fast…" Carmen said as she ran over to him and helped him on his feet. "It's too damn early in the morning for this…"

"What time is it?" Jett asked as he looked around her apartment feeling dazed. He didn't know how long he had fallen asleep.

"It's 3:00am. You passed out for a bit. I'll make you some coffee…" she said as she went into her kitchen and he followed her. He vaguely remembered their conversation, but he couldn't concentrate because his head was pounding.

"Is that instant?" he asked and she turned to glare at him. "Sorry I even asked…" Jett said as he sat down on a stool near the counter.

"You know, most people would say, 'Thanks.' or 'Thank you for the coffee.', and not be a complete asshole over whether it's instant or not."

"Sorry…thanks for the coffee, then." he said and she rolled her eyes and continued making the coffee. She handed him the mug and he sipped from it.

"It's actually pretty nice for it to be instant…" he murmured as he continued to drink from the mug. He stared at Carmen and she looked really sleepy. "You look sleepy…"

"I am. I stayed up while you passed out…" she said and before she yawned. "Are you feeling better?" she asked as she leaned against the counter.

"Yeah…" he said and she nodded before Carmen let out another yawn. "You need to sleep." he said and she glared at him.

"Don't tell me what to do…" she said as she pushed herself away from the counter and walked to the couch and sat down.

"Just lie down and…" Jett said as he walked to the couch and she slid to the other end of the couch as he sat down. "Why are you still afraid of me?" he asked in tone indicating he was hurt by her fear of him. "Whatever Derek did…was it that bad? Enough to be afraid of me?"

"Yes…" Carmen said as she turned to stare at him. "You don't know what happened, but I do. When I got my sister to tell me what happened that night…she told me in detail and…I shudder with fear and shake with anger."

"Anger? Are you angry with me?" Jett asked as he attempted to scoot closer to her, but she stopped him. "I'm not him…"

"I know!" she snapped. "But, it doesn't help that you're his brother. No matter what you say, you'll have his side automatically, because you're his brother. Honestly, I'm more pissed that you're this idiot that was kept in the dark about everything. It would've been easier if you did know everything and was this asshole. You have no idea how much I want to kill you right now. I wish I could just harm you…hurt you in some way that would avenge my sister's pain. I want your brother to feel the pain he inflicted on my sister."

"Well, I'm not letting you do that…obviously…" Jett said as he scoffed and she glared at him. "Look, you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm harmless."

"Well, duh. You wouldn't even be able to hold your own in a chick fight…" Carmen said and Jett glared at her. "I just think it's best if you leave…"

"No…" he said and she rolled her eyes. "I want to stay here with you. Tell me what happened that night…I need to know. My brother isn't going to tell me…I need to hear it from somebody. I need to know what kind of a monster my brother is…"

"No, you don't. I've already busted your bubble, I don't need to kill your faith, too." she said and he looked confused. "Besides, it's not my place to tell you. Rachel…"

"Please, I don't think I could face your sister…" Jett interrupted. "I need to know." he said as he stared into her eyes. Not knowing what happened was killing him.

"I'm not putting my sister's pain on display to clear your conscience. Sure, telling you the truth is one thing, but I'm not telling you anything about her rape."

"My brother won't tell me and if he does, he's going to lie. Whatever it is, I can handle it. I think I would feel better if I knew what happened. Please…"

"Okay…I'll tell you, but I'll tell you how I know it. If you want to know more…you're going to have to talk to Rachel."

"Alright…" he said as he scooted a little closer, and this time, Carmen didn't stop him. It was as if she was preparing her mind for the recounting of her sister's rape.

"They party was in some club and all the hot celebrities and who's who of Hollywood was there. Rachel came with a friend. When Derek saw her she had a martini in her hand and he offered to buy her another one. She declined, but agreed to go to his VIP room and talk. She was looking for an agent and they talked about him taking her on as a client." Carmen said before she took in a deep breath and let out a shaky exhale. "Everything was going fine until he started hitting on her and when he tried to kiss her, she rejected him. That's when things took a dark turn. He…grabbed her and he wouldn't let go. She tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. He pinned her down on the sectional and held her down and was hitting her to make her stop moving. He ripped the top of her dress and ripped her panties…and…" she said as she cried and Jett went to hold her, but she pushed him away. "Don't touch me!"

"Let me hold you, Carmen…" Jett murmured in a soft voice. He had never felt this way before. He never felt compelled to comfort another human being. Not just another human being, but a girl. He had played characters that would do it, but he had never experienced it. "I won't hurt you…" he said as he slowly reached his arms towards her and she allowed him to hold her.

Jett felt chills run through his body as he, tightly, held her shuddering form against his. Everything in him wanted to kiss her, but something in him told him that he shouldn't. She still hated him and his brother.

Carmen felt confused as her tears began to stop. The irony of feeling safe in Jett's arms wasn't lost on her. How could he be related to a monster like Derek? How could such a stupid and narcissistic guy be so sweet? Did she break him? Did Carmen actually have the power to break Jett Stetson or even break through the wall he hides behind?

"You're not like your brother…" Carmen said as she stared into his eyes. "I don't know who you are, but you're not like him…"

"What do you mean you don't know who I am?" Jett asked getting offended. Everyone knew who he was.

"That's not what I meant, jackass…" Carmen said as she rolled her eyes. "I mean…I don't know who you are because…well, you don't know who you are. You're who everyone wants you to be, but you're not you. This happening right now…the person holding me right now…that's you…" she said as she stared at him.

"So…you're saying I'm acting right now? If that was the case…I would've kissed you by now…" Jett said as he felt Carmen tense up. "I'm sorry…" he said as he pulled away, but Carmen stopped him from leaving her.

"No…that's not the reason I froze…I…want to kiss you, too…" she said as if she was confused by the notion of kissing him. Suddenly, she felt his lips on hers and she didn't resist.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wait, Jett…" Carmen said as she broke the kiss and he looked a bit annoyed until he remembered her fear of him.

"I don't know how many times I can try to convince you that I'm not Derek…I'm not like him…" Jett said as he stared into her eyes.

"I know, and I see it, but…I'm not stopping because I'm afraid of you. I'm stopping because…well, this is going to sound silly, but…I'm afraid of how Rachel would react if she found out. You know the whole sleeping with the enemy thing…"

"I'm not the enemy. Carmen, I want you…I know you want me, too. I won't pressure you or…force you. I just felt something between us…"

"I felt it, too. I want you, too. But…I can't do this knowing my sister would be reminded of her rape if she found out."

"Then, don't let her find out. We'll be a secret…" he said and she rolled her eyes. "What? What did I do this time?"

"Let's face it…I would have to be your secret, anyway. It's cool…I'm cool with it. I have to admit…I'm not sure I want things to go further than this night."

"So, we agree to keep this a secret?" Jett asked and Carmen nodded before she kissed him. He felt her overpower him and he ended up pinned beneath her as she rolled her hips into his. "Fuck, Carmen…" Jett moaned as she trailed her kiss down to his neck.

"Don't talk…" Carmen pleaded. She was sure Jett was going to say something selfish or stupid to ruin the moment. It was in his nature. She just hoped she could at least achieve her orgasm before he ruined it.

Suddenly, she pulled Jett up from the couch and dragged him into her bedroom. She pulled him into another kiss as she backed him against the wall next to her door. She pulled away from the kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head. She stared at his perfect chest and admired the patch of chest hair that resided there. She raked her nails over his abs and he let out moan as he pulled her into another kiss.

"Carmen…" he moaned out when he pulled away from the kiss. He let out a groan as her fingers came dangerously close to his sliding under the band of his jeans. He gripped the back of her neck and went in for a deeper kiss. She tasted sweet to him and he wanted to taste more of her. His other hand was on her ass and he squeezed loving the feel of it.

Carmen broke the kiss and backed away from him until the back of her legs hit her bed. She pulled her t-shirt off kicked off her boots as she stared at him. She began to pull off her shorts and when they were off, Jett was staring at her standing in a white bra and panty set. He loved the contrast of the white fabric against her brown skin.

Jett removed his jeans and was standing only in his green boxer-briefs. Suddenly, Carmen walked towards him again and took his hand. She led him to her bed and pushed him down onto the mattress. She crawled on top of him and began kissing him again. Jett swore the temperature rose in her room when he felt her skin against his. Her skin was soft and she had the smell of peaches and cinnamon.

When she rolled her hips against his, he let out a loud moan. Usually, when he fucked someone, there wasn't this much torture involved. Most girls who were with him knew what they wanted…usually, it was a quick fuck. Nothing special at all. Just something they could use to tell their friends that they actually fucked Jett Stetson. With Carmen, she took her time. He felt like she was teasing him, but it was teasing he didn't really mind tolerating.

"Hold on a sec…" she said as she sat up and straddled him. She leaned over to the drawer beside her bed and pulled out a condom wrapper from the box. She leaned over him and took him in another kiss.

"Please…" he begged and he soon regretted it. A wide smirk appeared on her face. She was satisfied that she was able to make Jett Stetson, the golden boy, beg. Running her hands down his body, she paused at the band of his underwear. "Carmen…"

"You have very little patience…" she said into his ear. "What? Jett Stetson never had to wait for sex?" she asked and he let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm not asking again…" Jett said behind clenched teeth. His cock was throbbing hard and he wondered how she could keep her hips perfectly still in order to not create some sort of friction that would grant him relief.

"I think you were begging. It's okay…I won't tell…" Carmen said feeling a bit evil, but she had to humble him a bit for this to work. Otherwise, he'd still be his cocky self.

"Please…just…" he said as he placed his hands on her hips and she jumped in surprise. He moaned out as he felt slight relief as her hips collided with him allowing her vagina to bump against his cock. "Fuck me…" he begged. He wasn't ashamed and didn't care if she would mock him for this later. He wanted her and he wanted her, now.

"Okay…" she said as she crawled off him and pulled off his boxer-briefs. Seeing his cock spring free from its confines, she licked her lips. He was going to say something cocky so she shut him up with another kiss before he could speak. She felt his hands scrambling to unhook her bra as she pulled off her panties. She tore open the condom packet and unrolled it onto him. Pushing him back down onto the mattress, she sank down onto him with a loud moan coming from her throat. She began rocking her hips and moaning.

"Fuck…" Jett moaned out as he stared up at Carmen. Her brown eyes were blazing with desire as she rode him. "So good…" he trailed off as she began picking up speed. She began bouncing up and down on his cock. "Fuck, don't stop…"

"Shit…Jett…" Carmen screamed out as she placed her hands on his chest for leverage. She dug her fingernails into his chest and cupped his nipples in her hands. She was pleasantly surprised that he was practically speechless. Seeing him a little vulnerable was a bit of a turn on for her because she never imagined a vulnerable Jett would be so damn hot. "Fuck!"

"You close?" Jett asked unable to form a complete sentence. He just wanted to come and Carmen was drawing out the pleasure longer as she slowed down. Suddenly, she began bouncing wildly on him causing him to moan out louder. This torture was driving him insane.

"Shit, I'm…" she said because she let out a loud moan as she came. Once he saw her release, Jett came soon after her feeling the most intense orgasm he'd ever felt in a long time. Her body continuing to spasm, caused a continuing of his orgasm. When he opened his eyes…wait, when did he close them?

"Wow…" was all Jett could say before Carmen leaned in for another kiss before she slid off of him and laid down beside him.

"Yeah…" Carmen said as she turned to face him. His sweaty, flushed face…his glazed green eyes…luscious lips. There was no doubt that Jett was hot, but something in him seemed broken, still. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…well, there is something…" he said as he pulled her against him. "I want to talk to your sister. I want her to know how sorry I am for what Derek did to her"

"Jett, that's a bad idea…" Carmen said with a sigh. "Let me talk to her first, okay?" she said and he nodded. "I have to avoid telling her about us when I talk to her, though…"


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Carmen was having lunch with Rachel. She rehearsed what she was going to say, which was going to be the truth with the major detail that she slept with Jett being left out. She didn't even want to remember her desperate moment, herself. It wasn't love…she didn't even know if fucking him was a wise move, but she needed it and he was there.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked as she watched her little sister barely touch the food on her plate. "Don't lie to me, either. I know you…"

"Something happened…" Carmen began with a sigh. "Well…A few days ago, there was an incident involving me and…Jett Stetson." she said and she watched her sister freeze up a bit. "It's not what you think. He wasn't watching where he was going and he bumped into me and I fell to the ground. I sort of yelled at him because he was being his arrogant self."

"Well, I guess I can't chastise you for doing that…" Rachel said with a chuckle. It was well-known that Jett Stetson was an arrogant ass.

"Um…Something else happened. I…mentioned his brother and how he hurt you, but I didn't say what he did, at first. I wanted his brother to tell him. Of course, Derek dodged Jett's questioning leaving me with the obligation to tell him what happened. Rachel, he…didn't know about your rape. I, stupidly, blurted it out and he looked so…I don't know." Carmen said as she looked up from her plate. Rachel just stared at her with an emotionless face. "Say something…" she said as she wondered what her sister was thinking.

"What do you want me to say, Carmen?" Rachel said with a tone indicating she was a little angry. "How did he react?" Rachel asked and Carmen let out a sigh.

"He believed me. You should've seen the look in his eyes when I said it. It was like he knew, somehow. When he confronted Derek about it, he said that he denied it."

"You shouldn't have expect that son of a bitch to actually admit to what he did to me. He denied it 7 years ago, he'll deny it, now…" Rachel said feeling angry that Derek never felt sorry for what he did to her. "So, Jett now knows…"

"Yes, and when he saw me after that concert I went to last night, he was kind of drunk, he had just come from confronting Derek about it and he said that Derek said he was high or some shit like that and when you confronted him about the rape…well, you know what happened." Carmen said and Rachel said as she rolled her eyes and nodded. "Anyway, Derek lied and said that he paid you off to keep quiet.

"He said what?!" Rachel said feeling pure rage build up in her. It was one thing to lie about raping her, but he lied about being high…he was completely sober that night. He lied about paying her off…hell, he basically shut her out of getting auditions and calls from casting directors. "He is so fucking low…"

"I was so angry, I dragged Jett to my apartment and told him the truth that there was no pay out. You should've seen him. He was so fucking broken…it was pretty sad seeing him like that. The golden boy feeling like he just lost his hero."

"Carmen…you sound like you care about him…" Rachel said and Carmen rolled her eyes. "I know that look. You like him…"

"Oh, hell no…he's arrogant and stupid and ignorant and bossy and…" Carmen said and Rachel smirked. It was true he was all of those things, but Rachel could tell her sister was really into Jett. "Besides, he's Derek's brother…"

"Is he a monster like Derek?" Rachel asked and Carmen let out a sigh before she shook her head. "If he's not a monster like Derek, and he frustrates you this much, you like him."

"Whatever…" Carmen said as she tried to avoid thinking about possible feelings for Jett Stetson. It was already irritation enough trying to reign in his arrogance when it got too much to take. "He wants to talk to you. He said he wanted to fully understand what you went through and he wanted to let you know how sorry he is. I…tried telling him about that night, but…I just couldn't bring myself to finish…"

"It's okay. I want to talk to him…" Rachel said and Carmen looked shocked. "Don't look like that. The way you're describing him, I can't hate him. Besides, it's not his fault Derek is such a heartless asshole."

"But how could you stand to look him in the face knowing how much Derek hurt you? I mean, that's how all this started. I got so fucking tired of seeing him be so arrogant all the time. And before, I knew he didn't even know about the rape…I thought he was just as heartless as his brother. He's just this lost person…"

"Aw…" Rachel said in a mocking tone. She couldn't help teasing her sister about her developing feelings for Jett. Of course, she still had reservations about him with her sister, and it had nothing to do with his brother. She was just feeling like the protective big sister…she would be that way with any other guy her sister was into. However, there was a part of her that needed to speak with Jett. She had to see if there was a way for her to find some humanity in her heart towards the Stetson family by speaking with Jett, the apparent lost one. "Shit, I have to go. I'm showing another house. Thanks for lunch and tell Jett that I'll agree to meet with him. I have to check when I'm available, but I want to meet with him. Love you, girl. I'll talk to you later." Rachel said as she left the table.

Later that day, Jett was standing in front of Carmen's door. He was anxious to know if she had talked to her sister. He had avoided all contact with Derek that day. He knew if he was to talk to his brother, he wouldn't be able to control his anger. This wouldn't be just another celebrity tantrum, but an expression of pure rage and disappointment.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Carmen asked as she pulled him inside and looked around paranoid someone might have followed him. Seeing no one, she closed the door and Jett pulled her into a sweet kiss and she melted into the kiss until she realized what was happening and she pushed him away. "Jett, last night…was a one time thing. I thought that was clear…"

"I know, but I changed my mind. That night can't be all that happens between us. I care about you, Carmen. I've never felt this way about anyone else before…especially someone like you." he said and Carmen rolled her eyes. "What?"

"You could've left out the 'someone like you' part. It made you sound like an even bigger asshole than you already are. Besides, you owe me…you left without cleaning up the pukey mess you made."

"Well, you kicked me out like ten seconds after we fucked…" Jett retorted and Carmen stared at him wondering when and how did he become so clever.

"Okay, you got me there. You're still an asshole…" Carmen said before Jett grabbed her and pulled her against him.

"And you're still mean and bossy…" Jett said before he kissed her and when he pulled back, he saw the look on her face. "What is it this time?"

"Nothing…well, it's something Rachel said about you and me." she said and he looked shocked. "I didn't tell her about us, she just kind of put two and two together…" she trailed off leaving out the part about Rachel insinuating that Carmen actually liked Jett.

"What did she say? Did she agree to talk to me?" Jett asked feeling nervous. Carmen let out a sigh and nodded her head. "Thank you, Carmen." he said before he kissed her again.


	7. Chapter 7

Jett couldn't wait until filming for New Town High was wrapped for the day. He was super anxious to see Carmen. He was going out with her…in public. He knew that was a big risk for both of them, but he insisted on it. Of course, she fought him on it. She agreed to it as long as he had agreed to go wherever she wanted to go, which meant that they would go to a place in which no one would recognize him nor care who if they did. He had to admit it would suck to be somewhere and not have screaming girls after him or people knowing him.

"Hurry up and get in here…" Carmen said as she opened her door and pulled him inside. Being seen with him was still too risky. She was sure they would reveal their developing relationship eventually, but now wasn't the time.

Jett couldn't help but stare at her legs in her leather shorts, asymmetrical top that exposed her bellybutton, and her leopard print heels.

"This is going to be weird." Jett said as stood in her apartment. He wore the clothes she told him to wear, a blue graphic tee, tan pants, and plain black chucks. "Why do I have to wear this?" Jett asked as he stared at himself in her mirror.

"Well, after thinking about it, I realized you would dress the way you normally do and that would cause people to recognize you. Now, if you dressed at little un-Jett you wouldn't be recognized and we could have this date like normal people."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Jett said before Carmen handed him fake glasses and a dark gray wool cap. "I have to put these on, too?"

"Yes, now put them on so I can see if they're necessary or not." she ordered and he rolled his eyes as he put on the glasses and cap. "Yeah, they are very necessary. If I didn't already know it was you, I wouldn't know you were Jett Stetson."

"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked and she looked confused. "It would've been better if I wasn't Jett Stetson…or a Stetson at all." he said as he stared at her with an apology in his eyes. He still felt bad for what Derek did to Rachel.

"It's not your fault, Jett. Derek is a monster. You're an arrogant blowhard, but you're not a monster. I've forgiven you for being such a jerk…well, sort of. You still need to work on that, but you're getting there. I will never forgive Derek."

"I won't forgive him, either…" Jett said and Carmen stared at him with that same look of pity she held for him when he first found out.

"Jett, I didn't want to turn you against your brother. Okay, maybe I did, but…you can't hate him forever. As much as I fucking hate saying this, he's your brother."

"But, he's lying to me about it all. We won't even fucking tell me what really happened that night and why he raped her. I'm fucking done with him."

"If you believe you have to be, then be done with him." Carmen said as she stared at him before kissing him on the cheek. "Let's get out of here. We have to meet Guitar Dude by the pool." she said as she grabbed his hand.

"Guitar Dude?! Why are we meeting him on our date?" Jett asked sounding jealous and, well, he was very jealous.

"Relax, man. We need this to look as un-date like as possible. If it's just you and me, and you get recognized, people will know about us. If it's a group, they will think it's just a group outing. There'll be other people there with us. Guitar Dude friends are real cool."

"I kind of thought this was a you and me thing. I don't want to go if it's going to be just us hanging out. If we do that, we might as well just stay here."

"Oh hell no, I got dressed up for this. You as a guy might have not taken that damn long, but I took damn near all night for this. Plus, I really wanted to go to this show. I love the band playing there and I really wanted you to hear them."

"Okay, fine…I'll go. Just…don't let Guitar Dude think that he can have you." he said and she looked at him as if he was crazy.

"I'm not your property, Jett! And for the last fucking time, Guitar Dude is just my friend. Look, if he's interested in being more, I'll turn him down."

"Oh, believe me, he's interested…" Jett said as he stared at her. Who wouldn't be interested in Carmen? She was gorgeous. "Okay, let's go."

"Thank you…" she said as they left her apartment. Carmen was still a bit paranoid about there secret relationship being found out. It would be bad for both of them if the media found out about the mismatch pair.

They took the elevator down to the main floor and managed to make it out to the pool without being noticed. They spotted Guitar Dude and Jett visibly relaxed when he saw a blonde chick standing beside him with her hair cut short.

"Sup, Carmen. Sup, bro." Guitar Dude said as they walked towards him. Carmen had told him all about Jett joining them, but she left out the part about them sorta kinda dating.

"Sup." Jett said in response with an nod, but it sounded strange and unnatural coming from him. He felt really awkward now that there pairs of eyes were on him in his embarrassing moment. Just then, Carmen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Ready?" Guitar Dude asked and they all nodded. They followed him to his car and the blonde sat in the passenger side while Carmen and Jett sat in the back. Jett was slightly disgusted with the state of Guitar Dude's car and wished he had his driver take him to this place, and he would've if he had known where they were going.

They drove for thirty minutes to a place that looked more like rundown wooden shack than a club. He was unsure about this and wanted to turn around.

"Where are we?" Jett asked as everyone got out of the car. He saw various types of people standing outside the front. People he would never talk to in a million years.

"We are at Salty Dave's." Carmen said as she turned to him. "It's a dive bar. I go to them sometimes when I'm not in the mood for a club."

"Is this place safe?" Jett asked and Carmen gave him a look. "It looks like it's about to fall apart." he said as they walked to the entrance and paid the cover charge. Well, Carmen paid for him, but he didn't mind since she was dragging him into this potentially dangerous place.

Once they were inside, Jett was treated to the sound of a type of music he'd never listen to. It sounded a bit like indie rock, reggae, soul and other genres. The place itself seemed even smaller than the outside and seemed that they were nearly at capacity. Everything was wood and exposed brick and nails. There was a distinct smell of spilled beer, weed, and sweat coming from the crowd. He felt Carmen drag him to the bar and she ordered beer for them. Once they got their beers and paid, they made their way through the crowd and tried to get closer to the stage. Sipping from their beers, Jett couldn't help but feel a little bit more comfortable.

Suddenly, Carmen began dancing with him in the tiny space they were afforded amongst the crowd. She kissed him and he felt even more comfortable with her near him. He didn't really like the music, but dancing…well, attempting to dance with Carmen was making him tolerate it more than he did when the first walked into the place. When she stood up on her toes to line her lips up to his ear, he held her closer to him.

"Does it feel safe to you?" she asked and he nodded before he kissed her again.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is the second time we've ended up in this situation." Carmen said as she cuddled closer to Jett as they laid in his bed after they had sex. "This is all levels of fucked up…"

"Why?" Jett asked with a confused look on his face and Carmen stared at him as if he was crazy, and suddenly, Jett caught on as to why this was fucked up. "Look, what my brother did…well, we aren't our siblings. We're different people. It kind of feels like you and I are undoing all that pain my brother inflicted by just being together and getting along." Jett said feeling that he could have gotten a contact high from people smoking weed at the bar because he never said anything like that before. "What did I just say?"

"I don't' know, but you were being a little philosophical there. I'm a little proud of you…" Carmen teased and Jett rolled his eyes. "I think when you actually think for yourself you prove to be actually quiet intelligent. I like this guy…not that fake Hollywood version of you."

"That fake Hollywood version of me is all I've known to be. Can you believe that Derek coached me on tons of stuff…like handling the press if I was in the middle of a scandal or how to behave on set and how to misbehave when things don't go your way."

"So, it's Derek's fault you're such an asshole…" Carmen said and Jett glared at her. "Don't look at me like that…you're an asshole."

"I'm still an asshole to you?!" Jett asked feeling as if he would never be able to escape that label. Well, before he had that encounter with Carmen, he didn't really realize he was an asshole. After the encounter, he's realized that he wasn't the most liked guy in Hollywood as he had thought. But, that was all in the past, right? "What makes you think I'm still an asshole? I've apologized a million times for what Derek did to your sister…"

"True, but…just because you're nice to me doesn't make you a good guy overnight. You still boss people around, you only pay compliments to yourself and recently me, and you're just so…Hollywood. Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm completely cool with us keeping us a secret, anymore. I mean, I have to admit, it would be nice to not have to sneak around and let only one other person know about us, but…your career…"

"Damn my career!" Jett said as he sat up and she stared at him with a look that told him to be realistic. "Carmen, I care about you. You're the only one with the courage to tell me I'm an asshole…hell, I didn't even realize it until you yelled at me."

"Jett…there seems like a lot you'd be wiling to 'give up', but I know you love being the top Hollywood heartthrob and you would miss it like fucking hell if it was all gone. Just accept this for what it is and…"

"What is it?" Jett asked and Carmen just sat up with a sigh. There was no easy way of telling him that this seemed like a version of him making up for what his brother did. She didn't even know if he really liked her or was he just trying to be nice to her because of her sister.

"It's not what it is…it's what it feels like. This whole thing feels like you're just doing this because you feel bad about what your brother did. If I hadn't told you what happened, you'd probably just ignore my ass the way you've done for months."

"But, that's kind of the point of you telling me…so, I can stop being this guy. I just don't know how to be the guy you want me to be…or the guy I should be. I just know…I like you. I don't want you to keep thinking I'm an asshole. I just need to know how to change."

"Okay…I'll help you, but you still have to keep us a secret. I'm realistic and I know I'm not Hollywood's ideal girl for you. You'd be better paired with your co-star, Jo, or some other blonde starlet. Let's just be safe for now, okay?"

"Okay…" Jett said feeling disappointed that she still wanted to be a secret. He didn't love her…at least, not yet, but he liked her a lot. "No…" Jett said as he turned to her and she looked a bit confused. "It's not okay, Carmen."

"Jett, this is fun, but…beyond me knowing your brother raped my sister…I don't know a thing about you. And before you even start, I'm not talking about the stupid tidbits someone could know about you in magazines and interviews. I'm talking about the real you. Like…your family. I know you have a brother…do you have any sisters?"

"Half sister…" Jett said in a soft voice. "She was the product of one of my father's affairs. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three dogs. My father had many affairs, and…I doubt she's the only one of his, 'other' children, but we know about her at least. My mother is an alcoholic on her third marriage to some guy she met in London. As for my father…well, he's dead to me. The CEO of a major production company and an unfaithful, controlling prick. You think Derek is bad…he's worse. I come from a fucked up family, I hope I didn't scare you away…"

"You didn't…" Carmen said as she looked at him as if she was trying to figure him out because one minute he could be so clueless, then the next he's full of clarity and lucidity that he seems that he's almost faking his stupidity. "How come you can't be this Jett Stetson, again?" she asked and they looked at each other for a moment before they laughed.

"This Jett's been buried under a lot of bullshit, I guess. You can thank my agent and my publicist for that." he said as he pulled Carmen to him and held her. "What about your family?"

"I have a younger brother…he's almost 16. My mother is a teacher at the school my brother attends. My father is a bassist for some soul/funk band. We grew up poor and struggling, but now…is a content place. We sure as hell ain't rich, but…we're content. Don't let that word, content, fool you. We're just as fucked up as your family. Just a lot of financial arguments between my parents instead of infidelities."

"I wish I could say I'd trade my life with yours, but I wouldn't put you through the shit I had to go through…" he said as he kissed her cheek. "It's easy talking to you…"

"I just hope you know I'm not you're therapist or I'll start charging you for our little 'therapy sessions' and it won't be cheap."

"What if I pay you in kisses?" Jett said before and kissed her and she moaned when he ran his hand up and down her thigh. When he pulled away from the kiss, he saw the passion in her eyes. He laid her down and began kissing her neck. She moaned beneath him as he trailed his kisses lower. He hovered over her as he place each hand on her breasts and massaged her breasts. She let out a loud groan when he licked a trail down her stomach to her navel. He took little nips with his teeth loving the gasp that escaped her when he did this.

"Jett…" Carmen moan as he kissed lower until he sat up causing her to let out a frustrated groan. He merely smirked as he slid further to the foot of the bed and spread her legs wider for better access. He grabbed onto her thighs and lifted them and placed them on his shoulders before his tongue met the warm, wet heat of her pussy. "Ah!" she cried out as he began swirling his tongue around her clit. He wanted to laugh with pride that she's scrambling on his bed and moaning, but he was focused on bringing her to her next orgasm. She was almost there…her hips were bucking wildly, her moans louder, her hands gripping the sheets in her fists. "Jett!" she cried out as she came. He kissed up her body and he licked his lips before he kissed her. When he pulled away, he leaned down to her ear.

"Or I could pay you that way…" Jett said with a smirk before Carmen pushed his shoulder and laughed as she stared at his sexy smirk and smoldering eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

"Okay…explain this to me…" Carmen began as sat up in his bed after a long night of talking and sex with very little sleep. "You're famous, beyond famous. Why are you still living in the Palm Woods?" she asked as she turned towards his reclining form.

"Well…I'm not sure actually. At first, before I found out about Derek's lies, I thought he was house hunting for me. You know, doing all the hard work. With my schedule on the show, I haven't had time to find a bigger place…one that was right enough to suit me. Besides, it'd be harder to for me to leave now…" he said and Carmen looked confused. "You're still here…"

"Oh, please…" Carmen said with a laugh. "I know you wouldn't want to stay in this tiny ass apartment in the Palm Woods just to be closer to me…"

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Jett asked in a defensive tone as he sat up. "I do care about you a lot, Carmen. So, you still think I'm an asshole…I'll work on it. What do I have to do to make you…like me?"

"I like you, Jett. More than I should. More than well, you deserve, actually." she said and he looked offended. "I'm sorry…the jerk version of you is still stuck in my brain. Give me some time to adjust to the nice you. Is anyone else going to see the nice you or is this exclusive for my viewing pleasure?"

"Only if you're there to let me know I'm still being an asshole…" Jett said as he leaned in to kiss her. Carmen was very sleepy and she wanted nothing more than to lie back down and sleep, but talking with Jett seemed to overpower her fatigue.

"I can't believe we spent most of the night talking and fucking. The sun is coming up…" Carmen said as the early morning sky illuminated the room with a bright blue hue.

"Do you want breakfast?" he asked and she let out a sleepy chuckle. "Why is that so funny?" Jett asked as she began laughing.

"I know you're not about to cook breakfast for me. I'm not sure Bitters would appreciate you burning down the Palm Woods…"

"I wasn't going to cook breakfast!" Jett said with a shiver at the thought of cooking. "I wanted to go out and eat."

"In public? You sure about that? Don't you have anything in your kitchen?" she asked before she realized who she was talking to. "Of course you don't. Why would a big star like you have any use for an actual kitchen?" she said in a sarcastic tone.

"Hey, I resent that. Well, I'm not really that hungry. I was thinking of you. See? The first step in me not being an asshole. I considered your appetite."

"Thanks…I think…" Carmen said as she stared out the window. She was drifting to sleep when she heard Jett snoring beside her and she snuggled deeper into his arms and slept.

A few hours later, she woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She searched for it and found it lying on the floor. Rachel was calling her.

"Is that yours?" Jett asked in a sleepy tone and Carmen couldn't help but love the sound of his voice in the morning…so husky and deep.

"Hey, what's up?" Carmen said as she answered the phone. She tried to ignore Jett's hands caressing her back and tracing his fingers down her spine.

"Hey, Carmen. I was wondering if Jett was busy this weekend. Actually, today. Eric and I were thinking of making a day trip to Napa Valley tomorrow and I wanted to talk to Jett. Let's see, it's about noon right now, would 2:00 be good for him. Eric and I are planning on having dinner with a few of his friends."

"Um…I could ask…hold on a sec." she said before turning to Jett. "Jett, are you free today, around 2:00? Rachel wanted to meet with you, today…" she said and Jett sat up immediately before nodding. "He's free. Where?"

"My house. Give him the address. Oh, and…I want to talk to him alone. Relax, I won't hurt him or anything. I just think…"

"I get it. I don't think it's a good idea if I was there, anyway…"

"Good. Tell him I'll see him then. And get out of bed, I can't believe you and him are sleeping in this damn late."

"Whatever…" Carmen said as she rolled her eyes. "He'll see you then. Bye." she said as she hung up. She took in a large breath before letting it out. "This is the moment of truth for you, I guess. You can always turn back, now."

"No, I want to know. I know Derek won't tell the truth. So, what are you going to do, today while I talk to your sister?"

"Nothing. I was about to work on a song, but I'm so tired…" she said with a yawn.

"You can sleep here if you want. I want you to be here when I finish."

"Thanks. First, though, I need food. Are you sure you don't have anything to eat in there?" Carmen asked as she found her clothes and began putting them on.

"I'm sure. What if we…went out and got breakfast together?" he asked and Carmen began to cringe. "Come on…" he said as he pulled his pants on.

"Jett, I don't know how to make this any clearer. That is a bad fucking idea. Look, I'll run to my apartment real quick, get food…"

"No!" he said as he bolted from the bed and she rolled her eyes. "Carmen, you're always telling me to not be an asshole or a jerk. I think I can stop being that guy if you let me be seen with you in public…at least the Palm Woods."

"Fine…Bitters is pretty good about keeping the paparazzi out of this place, anyway. There's a taco truck that's usually parked outside the Palm Woods on Saturday mornings…how about a taco?" she asked and Jett nodded. "Great, let's get that taco…"

"Okay…" Jett said as he pulled on his shirt. Once they were dressed, they walked out of his apartment and onto the elevator.

"Jett…" Carmen said as she felt him grab her hand. "Really? Hand-holding? You're not that cheesy, I know it…" she said as she tried to rip her hand out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. "Why do you have to be so damn persistent?"

"I'm Jett Stetson, that's why…" he said with a cheeky grin and Carmen couldn't help but smile. The elevator doors opened up and she realized the entire Palm Woods lobby, including Reginald Bitters, was staring at them in shock.

"Everyone is staring…" she said as they walked out into the lobby. "Jett…" she called out to him, hating that he was totally oblivious to the unwanted attention…well, unwanted on her part. She knew what an attention whore he was.

"Let them…" he said before squeezing her hand tighter as they went outside. Just then, Carmen snatched her hand away. "Why'd you do that?"

"You took it too far, Jett. The hand-holding was a bit much, you ham. I felt like I was on a fucking reality show. Let's not, okay?" she asked and Jett felt bad. "Forget it…let's just get the tacos, I'm fucking hungry."

"Yeah…" Jett said as he was confused why Carmen was so upset. He wished she would stop being so paranoid and just like him as much as he liked her. Maybe after he talked to her sister, she would loosen up and like him more.


	10. Chapter 10

Jett sat, nervously, on Rachel's couch as she sat in a chair adjacent to him. He thought her home was a little quaint and it reminded him of one of the set houses on New Town High and he felt even more uncomfortable.

Rachel looked a lot like Carmen, but only a little bit mature. Her face defied her age because her smooth, dark brown skin without a hint of a wrinkle on her 35 year old face. He still didn't understand that phrase 'Black don't crack', a phrase Carmen had used when describing her older sister, but he assumed it had something to do with her skin.

"Jett…I'm not going to lie…this is hard for me. Seeing you in person and not on T.V. or in a magazine…it's hard. You look so much like him…Derek, I mean."

"I know…" Jett said as he held his head down in shame and Rachel scoffed and that caused him to look up and stare up at her.

"Hey, don't lower your head like that. It's not your fault you're related to him. I know it's not fair for you, but I still don't…trust you. I know you're a good guy from what Carmen has told me. I scrutinize all my sister's boyfriends, but that's me being an older, protective sister. Though, I have to admit…I'm judging you a little harsher than the others…"

"I'm not Derek…I would never hurt Carmen. I…I care about her a lot. But she won't let me and I don't know why…"

"You're supposed to be the enemy. That's why she can't stand your ass. You're the brother of the man who raped me and she feels like she supposed to hate you. I know how she feels. I want to hate you, but I know that's not fair or logical right now."

"What happened that night? Please tell me…" Jett pleaded as Rachel let out a long sigh as she shifted in her chair. "Derek won't tell me and all he does is dodge the subject."

"I'll tell you. I've prepared myself for this. Carmen told me what she's told you, so I'm just going to extend on that…now, when I tell this story, I don't sugar-coat anything, so if it gets a little intense, don't hesitate to stop me…" she said before taking a deep breath and exhaling before recounting her rape for Jett…

_** "Shut the fuck up, bitch! You think you're too good for me?! Huh, is that it? You're a fucking nobody!" Derek said as he pinned all his body weight on Rachel.**_

_** "No! Get off of me!" Rachel screamed, but the music in the club was so damn loud, she doubted people heard her. The door was closed to his V.I.P. area and if there were people outside, they were most likely too drunk or too high to know. She found her hands pinned above her head by one of his hands and the other was under her dress pulling at her panties. He settled between her legs and gripped her legs so hard in an attempt to pry them open. "Stop! Don't! Get the fuck off of me!"**_

_** "I said shut up!" Derek said as he slapped her again. He ripped her top of her dress and began massaging and squeezing her breasts hard. She wanted to move, but his body weight was too heavy and her coordination was a bit off. "You stuck up, black bitch! You think you're too good for me?!" he said before he placed a rough kiss on her lips. She wanted to bite off his tongue, but he pulled away. "You're lucky if you get a part in my friend's next porn vid. You tease me and tease me all fucking night, but now, you don't want it. You're full of shit! You know you want this! I know your type…" he said as he unzipped his pants and pulled down his underwear. He shoved himself inside her and she screamed, but it was cut short by another brutal kiss. She tried to scream and curse him out, but it only came out muffled when his free hand covered her mouth.**_

_** "Get…mmmph!" Rachel tried to yell, but she couldn't. She tried to ignore Derek Stetson's disgusting pants and groans of pleasure in her ear as he raped her. She felt as if she could barely breathe and she hated that she couldn't fight back.**_

_** "You flirt and fuck your way to the top…then, you drop all the people who've helped your irrelevant ass! You're a fucking whore! Doing everything and anything and…anyone to have your big fucking break. Fuck, you feel so fucking good…" Derek murmured as he panted into her ear. Rachel knew he was going to come soon and she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. "Fuck!" he belted out as he came and Rachel was relieved it was over. "Fuck…" he said as he panted into her ear as he attempted to catch his breath.**_

"When he left…he told me to not tell anyone and he threatened to mark me as a Hollywood reject…I guess he made good on this threat…"

"I'm so sorry…" Jett said as he cried. He couldn't control himself and before he knew it, he was sobbing with head buried in his hands.

"Don't you dare cry! You man up and you deal with this. You weren't the one raped. I didn't get as strong as I've have just so you can cry in front of me."

"I just…I don't understand why he would do this! Why?" Jett asked as he stared up at Rachel. She was crying, but her tears were silent.

"I'm a Molotov Cocktail of history of mysteries…provoking your perverted curiosity…" Rachel said and he looked confused. "Those were song lyrics Carmen wrote when she was 17...three years after my rape. Here…" she said as stood up and went into a back room. When she returned, she had a piece of paper in her hand and she handed it to him. Jett saw very poetic words and phrases. "She was writing a song about my rape. At first, I was angry with her. I didn't want her to write that song because I thought she was being insensitive. I mean, I blamed myself. 'I shouldn't have worn that dress.', 'I shouldn't have flirted with him.', 'I shouldn't have gone into that V.I.P. room alone.', but…it was his fault. He couldn't control himself."

"I'm sorry…if there is anything I could do…" Jett said as Rachel sighed and stared at him with the same look of pity Carmen was prone to have when she stared at him.

"Jett, you didn't rape me. I don't understand why you feel the need to atone for your brother raping me the same way I don't understand why Carmen feels the need to feel angry enough to want revenge. You two weren't involved. You just happen to be related to the two people who were. I believe Carmen when she said you're a good guy, so be that good guy. If you want to be different than Derek, then…be different." she said and Jett nodded.

"Honey, why is there a limo outside?" asked a man as he walked into the house. He had short brunette hair and bright blue eyes. He looked confused until his mind registered who Jett was and he began to get a little angry. "Are you alright, Rach?" the man said as he walked over to Rachel and she stood up and hugged him. Jett also stood up. "What? Are you here to buy us off? We don't need your money! And don't you dare hurt Carm…"

"I'm fine, Eric. Jett and I were just talking. He wanted to know about the night I was raped. Apparently, Derek hadn't told him what happened. I was just telling him that I'm stronger now. Especially with you…" Rachel said as she turned to Eric and kissed him and he held her tighter. She turned back to Jett. "Is that all you wanted to know?" she asked and Jett nodded before he left. He rushed to get back to Carmen because he needed her.

Meanwhile, in Jett's apartment, Carmen was taking a nap on his couch when she heard the door open, but she thought she was dreaming. When she heard the creak the chair made when someone sat down in it, she smiled and was opening her eyes.

"Jett," she said but screamed and bolted up when she saw Derek with a smirk on his face.


	11. Chapter 11

"Get out!" Carmen screamed as she backed away from him. He was staring at her, intently, with a smirk on his face.

"So…you're the one Jett's been so obsessed with lately…" Derek said as he stood up and walked closer to her. "You are very hot…for a black girl, that is. Yeah…I should've known you'd be hot." he said as he eyed her with lust in his eyes. "What's the matter? You're shaking. You're not afraid of me, are you?" he said in a mocking tone.

"No. I'm trying to stop myself from going over there and killing your ass…" Carmen said as Derek chuckled. "You're lucky I didn't want to make Jett's apartment look like a crime scene on CSI. Leave before I call the cops."

"You're telling me to leave my own brother's apartment?! You're more of an intruder than I am. He's my brother and my name is on the lease. I could call the cops on you for trespassing. Hell, I could even throw in a breaking and entering charge…"

"You know…Jett is wise to your bullshit. You kept him in this tiny ass apartment because you're busy living his life. He does all the hard work and you reap the benefits."

"Aren't you doing the same? Reaping the benefits. You're an up and coming singer and my brother is famous. You're trying to piggyback off his fame. You're like your sister…" he said with a sick smirk.

"Don't you dare mention my sister! You raped her! You got off on pinning her down and forcing yourself on her."

"She wanted it. She totally wanted me that night. She was doing the same thing you did. You hopped in bed with Jett just as Rachel would've done with me if I'd made her wait."

"That's the sick shit you keep telling yourself to justify it. You are pathetic. You can't get it up unless a woman is trapped under you…helpless and crying. You know…there are little blue pills out there that can fix your erectile dysfunction…"

"You bitch!" Derek yelled as he rushed towards her and grabbed her. "Where the fuck you think you're going, huh?" he said as Carmen tried to break free of his grasp. "You feel just like your slut of a sister. Same juicy ass, too…" he said as he roughly palmed and squeezed her ass and Carmen made a gagging noise. Derek smacked her ass and she winced held her tighter against his body. She felt him grinding his erection against her. "You think I need that fucking blue pill, now?! You think you're so fucking funny?! Huh?! You're just like your fucking sister. You're a fucking tease."

"Fuck you!" Carmen said as she managed to position her knee at his crotch and when she brought her knee up, she was rewarded with a scream from him as he collapsed onto the floor and Carmen kicked him in the stomach. "Get your ass up! Get the fuck up! You didn't see that shit coming!" she said before she kicked him again. "Not too long after you raped Rachel, she enrolled me in self-defense classes…" she said as she bent down and brought an elbow down into his side. She pulled him to his knees and delivered a punch that knocked him back down. "I didn't want to take those damn classes, then…I wanted to take writing classes." she said as she stomped on his fingers as he tried to reach for her ankle. "Now, I'm glad I did…"

"Bitch!" Derek said as he grabbed her leg and pulled her down and punched her in the stomach as soon as she hit the ground. He had managed to overpower her and pin her down. She screamed and kicked, but he was too strong. "You look just like your fucking sister when she was beneath me. Only you fight more…harder. Such a fucking turn on…" he said as he forced a rough kiss upon her and she let out a muffled scream.

Suddenly, Carmen managed to free her right arm from his grasp and she elbowed him in the temple, hard. She rolled away from him and, quickly, got up. She yelled loudly as she kicked him, repeatedly, in the stomach and anywhere else on his body.

"Carmen!" Jett said as he banged the door open. He was surprised by the sight before him. "Stop!" he said as she held her back and he watched his brother attempting to get up. Finally, he stood on wobbly legs holding his midsection. Jett turned to Carmen and held her face in his hands as he stared into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" was all Carmen could say before Jett turned back towards his brother. Derek had a disgusted sneer on his face as he stared at them.

"You're asking about that bitch when she's the one who fucking attacked me?! You're that fucking pussy whipped you'd choose her over your own brother! She's using you, bro. I do everything for you and you'd choose her."

"Shut up, Derek! You lied to me over and over and over. I talked to Rachel. She told me everything about that night. You fucking raped her! You raped her and you ruined her acting career! You're a monster…"

"You're weak! You could've had that bitch behind you eating out of the palm of your hand, but you fucking fell in love with her! I saw you two walking to that fucking taco truck, earlier. I was going to surprise you with news of an interview, but I saw you prancing around with…this." he said as he gestured towards Carmen.

"I got your damn 'this', motherfucker…" Carmen said as she tried to rush towards him, but Jett held her back and moved in front of her.

"Carmen is not a 'this'. She's the best thing that's happened to me. She's a good person and she cares about me and I love her. You turned me into an asshole! You taught me to lie to others and feel like I deserved everything…"

"What? Are you going to give up acting for her?! You'd be nothing if it wasn't for me! I gave you a fucking career!"

"What? You'd try to shut me out of auditions and shit like you did Rachel?! You forget…there's tons of agents and they've been dying to sign me as a client. I could've fired you so many times, but I didn't because you're my brother."

"You'd fire me?" Derek asked with an amused smirk on his face. "I don't think our family would like you treating your brother this way. Especially dad. Sure, mom's so sauced up she wouldn't know what the fuck was going on, but dad. He's made so many fucking connections for not only me, but for you as well…"

"I'll make my own connections." Jett said as he stared at Derek and he knew his next words would be the hardest he has ever spoken in his life. "You're fired and I don't want anything to do with you anymore…"

"We're still family whether you like it or not…" Derek said as he walked out of the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

"Jett…" Carmen said before he turned around and she was about to speak again when Jett hugged her, tight. "Damn it, Jett…I can't breath…" she said as she pushed him away. "Are you ready to hug like a normal person, now?" she asked and he hugged her. "As much as I wanted to kill him, he's right. He's still your brother. What are you going to tell your parents?"

"The truth…" Jett said as he held her and wallowed in the warmth her arms provided. He never wanted to leave. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and it was Reginald Bitters yelling at them about the noise complaints they've been getting from other tenants. "I guess I should answer that…" Jett said as he pulled away from her and answered the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Jett was walking to the Palm Woods pool with Carmen by his side. It had been a week since Carmen's confrontation with Derek. Everything seemed like a dream…a movie or TV set, but everything was real. He had convinced Carmen to have a public relationship.

"Jett, again with the hand holding!" Carmen exclaimed as she ripped her hand from his and threw her arms in the air in frustration.

"What? I can't hold your hand when I'm your boyfriend?" Jett asked and Carmen stared at him and smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"Not when it doesn't feel genuine. I wouldn't mind it if it didn't seem like you were treating this like a scene from a movie."

"No, if this were a movie I'd grab you, dip you, and give you the biggest and best kiss you've ever had…" Jett said with a smirk as he stared at Carmen.

"Fine…you can hold my fucking hand…just promise me you won't do that whole cheesy kissing thing…" she said and Jett laughed. "So, have you decided on a place, yet?"

"Almost. I'm so glad Rachel is helping me find a place. She's the best real estate agent ever…well, the only one I've ever dealt with anyway…"

"Yeah, she is…and she wanted me to remind you that she's not doing this shit for free…" Carmen said as Jett chuckled.

"Don't worry…she'll get paid. Just as soon as I could sort out this whole financial situation. I had no idea Derek had so much control over my finances."

"It seems like he likes being in control of everything. Jett, do you regret choosing me over your brother?" Carmen asked and Jett stopped her and grabbed both her hands as he stared into her eyes. "Before you start…"

"I don't regret a damn thing…" Jett interrupted her. "My father is angry, but…I don't care. Derek is just like him. I often wonder how I didn't turn out just like them…maybe I have, but you changed that and made me a better person."

"Well, I couldn't let that pretty face of yours get beat up and bruised by someone not willing to take your shit anymore…"

"Oh, you mean someone other than you?" Jett said as he watched Carmen roll her eyes. "You slapped me hard." he said with a laugh.

"You deserved it…" Carmen said as Jett let go of her hands and they began walking again. When they reached the pool, Carmen noticed nearly all eyes of them and she wanted to run back into her apartment and hide. "Are they ever going to stop staring at us? I feel like a zoo exhibit. I still hate reading about us in the tabloids…"

"I know…" Jett said as he pulled her closer to him. That was only thing he hated about making their relationship public and he knew she hated that more than he did.

"I think that's what's wrong with society…they obsess over a celebrity and put them on this pedestal and if you're lucky enough to get close to that celebrity…they go ape shit on you. Do you realize how many death threats I get from little girls on Twitter…?"

"How about this? What if I did a public press conference stating that I'm disappointed in the harassment and cyber-bullying you've gotten? Whoa…I think you're rubbing off on me…I've never said anything like that in my life…"

"Well, that's a good thing. And yes, definitely do that press conference." Carmen said as she saw Guitar Dude coming towards them. "Hey, Guitar Dude. It's been a minute since I've seen you. How's Chelsea?"

"Dude, she's great. She's at a photo shoot right now…I'm killing time until she finishes. Hey, you got some time next week? I got this totally awesome song I'm working on and I need a female vocalist and it'd be perfect for your range…"

"Yeah, man, hit me up. That reminds me, I have friend who needs a guitarist for this gig Saturday and his guitarist is going out of town. You want me to drop him your name?"

"Oh, for sure, hell yeah. I'm always willing to help someone out. So, you and Jett thinking of hanging out again?" Guitar Dude asked as he stared at Jett.

"Um…sure…" Jett said in an uncertain tone. He wasn't too enthusiastic about going to Salty Dave's again…or any place like it.

"That's cool…I know this gnarly band playing in a couple of weeks. Should definitely check it out. Anyway, I think Chels' almost done at the shoot. Catch ya later…" Guitar Dude said as he picked up his guitar case and left.

"Could you be anymore obvious you didn't want to hang out with them, again?" Carmen asked in a mocking tone. She knew Guitar Dude made him uncomfortable, and it amused her to watch Jett squirm a bit.

"Look, I still don't completely trust he's likes you as just a friend…but, I'll give hanging out with him a shot. So, what is Chelsea? A model?"

"No, a photographer. She's begged me a million times to do a photo shoot with her, but I just can't. Believe it or not…I'm a little camera shy…"

"I've noticed…" Jett said as he would watch her practically hide her face in her shirts as they tried to avoid the paparazzi. Suddenly, Jett's phone rang and he saw it was his mother. She rarely never called him and he answered her immediately. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Nothing…well, there is something…" Jett's mother, Donna, said with a sigh. "It's Derek. He's…threatening to file a lawsuit against you and your girlfriend…"

"For what? He attacked her!" Jett yelled before he looked around and saw that everybody was staring at him. He gave a nervous smile before he went back into the Palm Woods lobby and in front of the elevator. Carmen was beside him and looked concerned. The elevator opened and it was empty as Jett and Carmen walked inside and Carmen pressed her floor. "What did he tell you?"

"It wasn't what he told me. It was your father. He said Derek said he was attacked in your apartment by your girlfriend. Look, I don't know what happened, but…he said he didn't want to press charges against her. He did, however, say she did falsely accuse him of trying to rape her and said she was going to go to the press and sell her story to them."

"He's lying…" Jett said as they got off the elevator on her floor and walked down the hall to her apartment. Once they were inside, he sat down on her couch. "He tried to…rape her. You remember 7 years ago…he told you some woman had accused him a rape? Well…that woman…Rachel…her sister is my girlfriend."

"How did that happen? I…don't know what to say. I'm not saying I disapprove. I'm just confused as to how it happened. I want to meet her. I'll arrange for us to have lunch sometime next week. Goodbye, Jett." Donna said as she hung up and Jett sat there with a confused look on his face.

"What did she say?" Carmen asked as she sat next to him on the couch. She could barely hear his mother, but whatever she said, it was about her.

"She…she said Derek is threatening to file a lawsuit against you and me. And…my mother wants to meet you."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Carmen asked as she watched Jett shrug his shoulders.


End file.
